p0pULAr
by tarry rash wanton
Summary: Hermione is plain unpopular, but she wants to be poular and pretty. w/ the help of Lav n co. she achieves it, though she's getting more attention than she needs..[03.22.03] chap 4 up! sowi for the one year delay!
1. chapter 1

A/N: Wow, a lot of things happened to me this past few days. First, I sprained my foot, then I found out my classmate who's a writer too here in ff. Net, thinks I'm weird [*gasps*] and then secondly, I just realized I suck in everything I do. Like the other day, I was playing tennis [before I sprained my foot which was when I fell from the stairs] and I keep swinging and swinging the damn racket but heck didn't even get any shot! Sheesh, man talk about major wimp! [I can't believe I just said that] And anyway, I'm a Filipino!!! [ I just found that out a while ago! Just kidding!] Now I'm saying it loud and proud, hear that [coolkid] ? Hmm.. you taught me a valuable lesson y'know.. Never take Spanish lessons even if your mom says so you should !!

Anyway, enough of the babbling, I don't own the damn characters, you know the whole cycle. I own the plot…

****p0pUL@r****

Chapter 01

My name is Hermione Granger. I'm sixteen and I'm happy. Okay, minus the bushy hair and the somewhat large front teeth, I guess I'd definitely become very happy. If you see me in the streets, which is very seldom, you probably wouldn't notice me, even at school. I'm a witch, mind you, on her sixth year, studying at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

I'm very much part of the crowd as much as I can say. One of the crowd, is how to put that. That normal kind of crowd, as in, the-look-at-them-they-don't-care-how-they-look-like crowd. You just might laugh at me or something but I think I'm a looser. A nerd. You know, an ultimate –know-it-all, dork! No, I do not have low self-esteem, but bloody hell if you can only see me now, I guess you can agree with me. My hair, my teeth, but my eyes aren't that bad like my mom said…

I'm not saying I'm ugly, just plain unpopular I guess. My looks are not what I want them to be. I always wished I'd be pretty as Lavender Brown or something. That way I can impress my bestfriends both my friends Ron and Harry who both haven't realized up until now that I'm a girl, not literally of course, they just become uncivilized in front of me sometimes.

And of course, Draco Malfoy! Yes, that arrogant, insensitive little sniv! He can be very mean sometimes, okay most of the time but still.. He never failed to capture my heart. With those adoring eyes and that creamy pale complexion! That stuck-up Pansy Parkinson's too lucky to bag him, if she ever did… [why do the hood guys always fall for the most unlikely girls?] 

My friends don't know I have the hots for Draco, and I don't intend on telling them either. They'd probably chase me with knives and daggers and a torch too. Anyway, everyone knows I'm not the kind to have crushes. But heck, I'm a girl, what do they expect?!

UGH.

Today is just another day when I feel like throwing my [charmed] alarm clock out the window. It's six thirty and my eyes are groggy from sleeping. A typical, Monday morning. Where people, that is Draco and his gang would insult me and my friends and that kind of thing.

I juts hope things would change.

Like in the books. Cinderella ended up with the prince, why can't I with Draco? 

But life does not dwell on books, does it?

A/N: Pretty short, I know, but I just really wanted to know if it's worth updating..

Here we go again, I need atleast ten reviews if whether or not I should continue?

Gosh, [coolkid] this goes out to you. Thank you for making me realize, I flunked math, er I mean I didn't need Spanish lessons!! And to all ye out there, I am going to make the next chapters longer! If ye review that is!!1

I know peeps, I have loads of unfinished fics which I just recently posted. I'm working on their 2nd/3rd chapters most f the time.. Sorry anyway if I'd take so long! But I'm intending on finishing it anyway!!

Please. Puh-lease! Please!!!!!! REVIEW!!


	2. chapter 2

A/N: Stupid. I forgot about that g.o.f book thing. Anyway, hmm… I like the way Herm has uh.. somewhat large front teeth.. [not you Bea,] and well, I sort of forgotten to add it in the author's notes in the previous chapter that 'Mione has to have large front teeth, ya know why? [not you Bea,] well.. it adds up to her character and stuff, she has to be super-unpopular material, nope, I'm not saying she isn't pretty but hell it'll be soooo nice if she just ..[ no Bea, not you *again*] becomes even prettier. The spell/ enchantment wore off after a few weeks, in my fic, after Herm got it to shrink. And now it remains as it already is.. The large front teeth thing—well some explanation will come on the 3rd chapter, right now, ignore it and go one with the fic..

Review/ flame me. 

p0pUL@r 

chapter 2

__

First class is Potions with Snape. Not my kind of way to start the day. But anyway, life has to go on still, no matter how much crappy it already is/ gets. The only thing I'm looking forward to is sneaking a glance at Draco. Atleast that's a good thing. A little thought I'm keeping in mind to brighten up my day. Not unless that stuck-up Pansy Parkinson blocks my view again just like in the previous potions class. The girl's absolutely a flirt! She's sitting too close to him and her leg's brushing against his under the table. She's doing it on purpose—that whore, batting her stupid eyelashes and doing that thing with her lips whenever she talks to him!! 

Ugh. 

I wish I were her though. I'd give anything in the world just to sit that close to him, or even drink from his glass or something! I never really know how I began liking that little sniv, Draco. I was crazy even from the beginning to fall for him. That bitterness, that mocking sneer… It makes me go crazy yet I hate it.. Sometimes I wish I'd become popular and pretty…

"Herm?"

"Hmm…"

"Herm?"

"Hmmm.."

"Herm!?"

"Wha- I didn't do it!"

Lavender eyed Hermione curiously, following her gaze just before. "Hey, you were staring at Malfoy, weren't you?" Hermione blushed. "No, of course not, Lavender How could you?"

It was a Monday Morning. Students were having breakfast in the Great Hall, expressions still dazed and groggy from seeping. Hermione was staring, or rather watching in anger as Pansy giggled and flirted with Draco. Ron and Harry were still upstairs, not caring if whether or not they'd be late for Potions class because late or not, Snape would always give them detention anyway. Lavender faced Hermione, Parvati peering at her side, an identical naughty grin, spreading on their faces. "Oh Hermione!" Parvati said, melodramatically, placing her hands on her chest and sighing. "It's what you call a crush, more like puppy love but still…" lavender rolled her eyes, nudging her friend on the side. "Oh shut up, Parvati!" she said sounding annoyed. "No need to go dramatic on us now.." Lavender turned to Hermione again. "So, you dig Draco Malfoy, don't you, Herm?" Parvati grinned from ear to ear, twirling her hair around her finger, a dreamy look on her face. "You know, Draco Malfoy is sort of hot, with his blonde hair and gray eyes, but he's really mean though—Oww! Lavender!" Lavender rolled her eyes as her friend rubbed a spot on her arm. "So, Herm, yeah, you were saying…"

Hermione looked from the expectant faces of Parvati and Lavender to the Slytherin table wherein Pansy was sitting at Draco's side, scooping a spoonful of eggs from her plate, about to give it to Draco. This ignited Hermione's jealousy. 


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3 or the other part of chapter 2 that didn't get uploaded due to the author's stupidity 

Lavender eyed Hermione curiously, following her gaze just before. "Hey, you were staring

at Malfoy, weren't you?" Hermione blushed. "No, of course not, Lavender How could you?"

It was a Monday Morning. Students were having breakfast in the Great Hall, expressions

still dazed and groggy from seeping. Hermione was staring, or rather watching in anger as

Pansy giggled and flirted with Draco. Ron and Harry were still upstairs, not caring if

whether or not they'd be late for Potions class because late or not, Snape would always

give them detention anyway. Lavender faced Hermione, Parvati peering at her side, an

identical naughty grin, spreading on their faces. "Oh Hermione!" Parvati said,

melodramatically, placing her hands on her chest and sighing. "It's what you call a crush,

more like puppy love but still…" lavender rolled her eyes, nudging her friend on the side.

"Oh shut up, Parvati!" she said sounding annoyed. "No need to go dramatic on us now.."

Lavender turned to Hermione again. "So, you dig Draco Malfoy, don't you, Herm?" Parvati

grinned from ear to ear, twirling her hair around her finger, a dreamy look on her face.

"You know, Draco Malfoy is sort of hot, with his blonde hair and gray eyes, but he's really

mean though—Oww! Lavender!" Lavender rolled her eyes as her friend rubbed a spot on

her arm. "So, Herm, yeah, you were saying…"

Hermione looked from the expectant faces of Parvati and Lavender to the Slytherin table

wherein Pansy was sitting at Draco's side, scooping a spoonful of eggs from her plate,

about to give it to Draco. This ignited Hermione's jealousy. Turning to Parvati, she said,

almost crying out, "Why would I Hermione Granger, have a crush or any of that sort on

Draco Malfoy? That stupid little Ferret!?" 

It's like the sound of clattering plates and the noisy chatter of the other students,

suddenly drowned out, leaving nothing but Hermione's voice as she said those. Everyone

turned to her, eyeing her curiously as if she'd said the Avada Kedavra curse or

something. Even Draco Malfoy, himself stared, 

Pansy's smile fading as she missed her 'boyfriend's' mouth, thus shoving the spoon into

his cheek instead. 

"Uhh…"

Hermione gulped. "Did I say that out loud?"

__

Potions class was the worst. I should know, it's taught by my least favorite teacher, Prof.

Severus Snape, I call him Severely Snapped! I mean he's totally crazy in my opinion, making you

write 700 word essays nearly everyday! Since that incident in the Great Hall this morning, Parvati

and Lavender didn't dare show themselves to me anymore. I guess they felt guilty they made

me say that or something. 

Draco heard me say he was a ferret! I've said it loads of times but it hurts to say what you don't

mean, especially in my case. I *like* Draco.

Oh, man, now I've ruined my chances of hooking up with him! Yeah, as if that's gonna happen.

Get your mind of the gutter, Herm!

Ron and Harry aren't out of bed yet, or so I though they were in bed, but I guess the lazy sots

just made up and excuse not to attend Potions. They're in the hospital mending whatever it is

they need to so called mend. Boys! Wonder if Draco's like that….. Hmm… NAH!

__

People think I'm always this studious girl, who has her nose buried in a book. But I'm tired of

that image. I'm not a nerd. I love reading though. And I have to live my life in the outside world

too. So right now, I'm going to tell Draco how I feel. And he's going to smile and say he loves

me too. Then Pansy's going to lay off my merchandise.. And then Drac and I will live happily

ever after! 

So.. I'll tell him how I fee right now.. That's right.. Umm… Yeah.... I will—Maybe later…

"Herm! Wait up!"

Hermione turned around to face Parvati and Lavender pushing their way past other

students bustling out from their classrooms that Monday morning after Potions Class. 

Parvati was panting, her hands on her knees while Lavender flicked her hair to one side.

"Listen, We're really sorry for what happened during breakfast—"

"Yeah, we didn't mean it, actually. Though Draco really is kind of cute—"

"Parvati!"

"What? But he is—"

"Anyway, Herm, we're sorry. How bout, to make it up to you…" Lavender bit her lip and

thought deeply. " We'll invite you to our make-over night up in our secret place?"

"Hmm.." was all Hermione said as she watched as Draco Malfoy stalk past them, flanked

by Crabbe and Goyle. He was definitely cute. His gray eyes glittering, blonde hair falling

on pale smooth skin… And he just—he just—Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. Was that

a smile?! Directed to her?! She glanced around. Nope, no one but her and some

Gryffindor friends. He smiled at her! Hermione felt her heart miss a beat. But then her

hopes faltered as Pansy pushed her way past her, stepping on her foot as she walked

towards Draco, hand in hand, flicking her hair to one side. 

"Herm?"

"Hermione?"

Hermione sighed and turned to her friends. "Look, I'm busy this week, I can't."

Parvati and Lavender shook their heads in disbelief as they followed their friend's gaze.

Draco was walking away to his next class, hand in hand with Pansy Parkinson. 

"Oh that whore!" Lavender cried out, rolling her eyes. "I think we'll doing you a favor

Hermione. Look, don't feel too bad that she's got or guy. You'll win him, I'm sure. All you

need is confidence. And with our help—"

"I'm sure you can achieve that."

Hermione bit her lower lip. "I dunno.."

"Oh come on Herm, we'll show that Pansy Parkinson!"

"Yeah, Lav's right. Come on!"

"Hermiiiooonnee!!!!!!"

Hermione turned around; Ron and Harry were walking towards her, books in their arms

from the infirmary. "Hey Herm, where have you been?" Harry asked.

"The question is, where have you guys been?" Hermione replied, rolling her eyes. She

turned to where Lavender and Parvati where a minute ago, but they were gone. 

"Looks like it's up to you, Herm!" Lavender said from the other side of the hallway

walking down a staircase with Parvati on her side. "Decide. Fast. We'll wait!"

Harry and Ron stared from Hermione to the slowly descending forms of Parvati and

Lavender. "What was that all about?" Ron asked.

Hermione moistened her lower lip. "Something.." she murmured, then shifting into her

normal tone of voice, said "Harry, Ron! You two were in the infirmary for the whole class

period?! What's with that?! You guys don't even look bruised at all!"

"Hey. Our backs are sore!"

"Yeah and my foot hurts."

"My temples too!"

"Yeah, right, guys, whatever!"

The trio walked to their next class, their voices echoing through the now empty hallway…

TBC..


	4. chapter 4

Chapter 4

"There's a dance?" Lavender nodded as she read out loud from the bulletin board, skimming through paper after paper of class schedule changes and announcements. "Hey looks like muggle bands are coming too, tonight."  

Parvati's eyes widened and she let her mouth hang agape first before pursing them primly and pushing Lavender aside in haste as she tiptoed to stare at the most recent announcement. "Oh my Lord! Avril Lavigne, and Third Eye Blind are playing tonight!"

"Tonight?!" Parvati sounded alarmed as she too raised her eyes to meet Lavender's blue ones. "Then this is Hermione's chance! We must call upon our fashion instincts and give her a make over so that a certain blond prince would but swoon upon her beauty." "God, you suck." Lavender shook her head in mock disbelief. Parvati frowned. "Honestly, Lavender, must you prick at my pride for all the time?" "'Prick my pride'!" Lavender rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Come on, Parvati, we're not in the baroque period here so much that we have to speak all fancy and stuff…" "Shakespeare wasn't baroque, was he?" Parvati asked out loud as she allowed her best friend to drag her into the hallway. "I believe that he died and Beethoven wasn't even born then."

Lavender made a face. _Why must Parvati get into such a tiff about Shakespeare now?_ She thought irritably. Just as she was about to blurt out how irked she was about rhymes and sonnets, Lavender felt soft fingers knotting with hers.

"Come on, Lady Macbeth, let's find Hermione already." Parvati giggled. "I know that we should work together pronto to help our friend." Lavender grinned as Parvati shook her head and flushed as the brown-haired girl tightened her grip on her hand affectionately. "Well, that's the Patil I'm used to dealing with!" 

"Oh…really?" Parvati teased. Lavender grinned. "Yeah.."

***

"Did you see how the disgusting thing stared at my Draco?!" Pansy scoffed as she paced back and forth within the Slytherin's girls' dormitory. "Ugh! She's so… dorky, with her stupid brown hair and teeth and, chewed nails… Can you believe she thinks that Draco will ever like her? Can you believe that? Ha! She's hideous whereas I'm beautiful and perfect! That stupid imbecile's not so smart, is she, Blaise… Is she?!!!" Pansy's eyes narrowed as she found Blaise sleeping in a chair. Flustering in ire, she banged her fist on the bedside table to wake the boy and wake he did, yelping. "Fire! Fire!" Pansy's eyebrows were raised insipidly; clearly Blaise wasn't paying attention the whole time she rambled and it annoyed her so much that she threw a frustrated fit. "Sorry.." Blaise chuckled nervously as Pansy's eyes burned fervidly. "ARGH!!!" And thus, a flock of innocent doves picking rice with their beaks on the castle side flew out of the 7-mile radius surrounding Hogwarts at the screech of a certain Slytherin girl.

Draco watched and mused belatedly. He had been listening to their or rather Pansy's (conversation?) rant, had stopped in his tracks when he was bound to approach Pansy. Hermione was so easy, he knew of her affection and wanted a tease. He decided to have his fun and, smiling that infinitely cocky smile, trudged off from the Slytherin girls' 6th year dorms and to the common room where he tossed a bouquet of roses into the sickly green fire wisping in the fireplace. It burned slowly and the scent of beauty withered with its ashes. Meanwhile flawed beauty forged by carelessness, transfigured into elite grace or something akin to that.

***

"Hermione…?" Lavender peered into the drapes where she heard the creasing of paper and the scratch of quill against parchment. "Hermione… hey…" She opened the drapes and was relieved to find Hermione lying on her stomach doing her Arithmacy homework. Her hair was disheveled and circles were visible around her swollen eyes; she looked weary and was sporting a yellow nightgown, a hand buried beneath her stomach.

 "Are you feeling any good?" Lavender asked in concern for the bushy-haired girl. "You look… so…yellow…" Hermione sighed in fatigue and groaned under her breath. She reached out for a pillow and buried her head in it. The bed dipped as Lavender sat on the edge of the mattress, placing her hand affectionately on Hermione's head. "The week was anything but good." Muffled sob coming from Hermione. "The whole school now knows that I fancy Draco Malfoy… And it's all your fault! You and Parvati's! If it weren't for your persistence I wouldn't have blurted it out!"  "MY FAULT?!" Lavender cried out, shock shimmering in her pale eyes. "I OFFERED MY HELP TO MAKE YOU PREPPED UP FOR YOUR GUY, YOU NO GOOD WHO—"

"Lavender!" Parvati, who'd been eavesdropping when she wasn't supposed to rushed over to pull Lavender from grabbing Hermione's head of hair. "No! Lav! Don't! Pull! Don't! Argh! Get off of her!" "Ouch!" Hermione screeched as her bushy brown hair almost got yanked out of her scalp. She rubbed her head ruefully. Lavender was heaving.

"There's going to be a dance tonight," Parvati murmured as she pulled Lavender to her side and squeezed her hand to calm her. "And LAVANDER," she accented on the name as Lavender started mimicking her. "— And I, figured we should help YOU get ready for it. You know, give you a make over." Hermione backed away. "Oh, no you don't!" She grabbed the quill from her bed and pointed it threateningly at both of them, her eyes wild in fear. "You're not giving me a make over without a fight! Back I say! Back! Back! No more mumbo jumbo about beauty and fashion, I'll only end up embarrassed no less than I've ever been in my entire life! You two stay back!!" "What, you're going to poke us with that or something?" Lavender rolled her eyes boredly. She gave an insipid sigh and crossed her arms. "Honestly, Hermione. You are so queer sometimes. Well, here we are giving you your big break so you can be with Malfoy and you threaten to God knows why … poke our eyes out!" Hermione frowned as she put the quill down and sat on one end of the bed. The bed dipped under her weight and she leaned the side of her cheek against a fist on her knee. Lavender thought it was boyish. "What? Are you lesbian now or something?" At this, Hermione scowled fiercely at her and almost reach for the quill, whereas Parvati squealed. "Of course not!" Hermione said, outraged. "I am straight as a line with two endpoints." "So will you reconsider our offer then?" Parvati piped up. 

"Perhaps you'll take a break from all the homework and have a little fun with old Draco?" The two best friends grinned as Hermione's brow shot up. "Well… Fine." She surrendered.

***

The great hall was indeed fabulous, to hold a dance in such short notice made the news of the event spread like wildfire and in no less than half an hour the whole school had been informed that bands were coming that night and the school would be dressed up. Students rushed to ask their girlfriends or boyfriends or some random people if they wanted to come as well and due to the fact that the dress code was not at all strict and allowed them to wear casual clothes, people were in a rush deciding if they should wear some new pair of Prada sneakers or some other Dickies top. Draco had asked nobody to the dance and this made Pansy in a huff while Blaise debated whether to ask Susan Bones, Slytherin pride and all that. The boy who lived asked Hermione, knocking at the girl's lavatory where she had been the whole day. Hermione agreed and Harry swore to God that he heard hushed voices and hisses erupting from the other end of the door, something about Malfoy, 'say no!' and a make over. Harry had just shrugged and met with Ron to ask him about Padma. The dance would start at 7 and still, Hermione had not been out of the lavatory. Parvati and Lavender had dressed up and decided to come together to the dance, putting on their best clothes as they clothed Hermione with dignity in the lavatory. Lucky for them, there were other nine more in the school. Hermione had been difficult to deal with, the two had broken several combs just straightening her hair and had had to cast a spell to free the many tangles of her hair. However one advantage was that Hermione was very pretty already, it was just that she did way too much homework, had big front teeth (which grew yet, after being magically shrunk by Madam Pomfrey) and her hair was disheveled and unkept. Not forgetting that she just had to get rid of her, old pointy boots. It did not go with her school robes. 

The great hall was dressed up indeed. House banners adorned each four corners of the room and tables were pushed back at the two sides of the hall, chairs in few corners around it. The food lay in the tables, along with several varying colored punch bowls and a small stage was elevated at the right corner of the great hall. The ceiling reflected the night sky and seraphs and cherubs alike were visible hiding beneath the clothes. It was all dream-like, surreal; the colors of the great hall were in deep rich hues, as the soft, mellow flicker of the candlelights danced with the shadows they created. The band started coming at 6:30 and were perfecting their act by checking their equipment and setting them up on the stage. A short, petit girl of 5'2 stood on the stage and tapped on the microphone as her band started playing. Instantly, people filtered into the great hall, students in formal and semi-casual attires. The dance had begun. 

***

The dance had started an hour ago and Parvati had just dragged Lavender out to dance to 'Tomorrow' together. Hermione suspected they were more than they let on as Lavender entangled her fingers with Parvati. In any way, it was not her place to be intruding their privacy. She had been sitting there, sitting on one cubicle, looking at herself, quite contemplatively. She argued with herself if she ought not to come out, for she had no clue what Parvati and Lavender had been doing to her for the past 4 hours— they even forbade her to look into the mirror and had covered all the mirrors in the sink. Hermione wondered if it were some joke the two girls decided to play on her. Shutting her eyes, Hermione shrugged paranoia off of her shoulders and gave herself a break from everything. Maybe Parvati was right about lightening up.

***

The petit girl onstage had left, punk clothes and all as Third Eye Blind started their act.

They began a slow song to romance the crowd of teens who were nose to nose after a few guitar strums and melodic lyrics. Harry had been sitting at the opposite end of where Draco was, waiting for Hermione while the blonde boy was fawned on by Pansy. Harry walked away, pissed off at Hermione's lack of punctuality and headed for the Gryffindor common room. It was then Hermione walked in, in a periwinkle tube dress, straight almost glittering hair falling loosely to her pale shoulders. She had a bit of make up on, highlighting her perfect cheekbones and her lips were raw pink. On her neck was a feminine black choker with a red rose on it. She smiled shyly as onlookers watched and gaped.

_"When we met light was shed_

Thoughts free flow you said you've got something 

_Deep inside of you,"_

Draco stood up, making Pansy fall off of him and he brushed himself off carelessly, walking over to Hermione who searched for Harry. He tapped her on the shoulder gently. 

"Miss, can I have this dance?" He had no clue who she was, let alone why he had never seen her before. She looked oddly familiar though. Hermione blushed and nodded.

"_A wind chime voice sound, sway of your hips round rings true_

_Echo's deep inside of you_

_These secret garden beams changed my life so it seems_

_Fall breeze blows outside, I don't break stride _

_My thoughts are warm, and they go deep inside of you,"_

Draco's arm was around her waist and Hermione's on his neck as they softly, yet shyly, danced. People watched, stared. It was the best night of Hermione's life. In a corner, Parvati and Lavender were giggling. 

Tbc… 

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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